Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Ivan Gazidis has lashed out at Arsene Wenger's critics, and insisted that his place isn't under threat despite the club's pathetic start to the season. After 5 EPL matches, Arsenal have managed just one win versus Swansea City - and registered their toughest start to a campaign in 58 years. Arsenal had to endure the humiliation of an 8-2 hammering at MU and they also lost to strugglers Blackburn on Saturday - a final result which saw them drop to 17th in league table.

Ivan told : "Arsene isn't a broken man. He didn't suddenly get a bad manager or person who became out of touch with the match. It's complete nonsense.

"[Sacking him] is a route we're not going to go down. To see him portrayed as some kind of idiot is profoundly damaging, not to Arsenal or Arsene, but for the game."

Wenger became the only manager to win a EPL title with an unconquered team in 2004, but hasn't won a competition in the last 6 and a half years. They came agonisingly close to winning some silverware last term when they accomplished the League Cup final, but they were defeated by Birmingham City, who then went on to be relegated to the Championship.

Gazidis tells Wenger understands why the club's fans are distressed, but has urged them to be patient in their demand for success. He said: "Arsene is disappointed, he shares the same frustrations that we all do.

"The possible is very high but we have found self-inflicted ways not to achieve that full potential, and that's why he's deeply frustrated. If you look at the last six years when we have not quite got over the line for a trophy, if we had not had the potential to do it

"That's something we need to correct because the potential is there. That's the frustration I think Arsene is fighting with but he's perfectly not broken. He's as focused on delivering success to this football club as he has ever been."